By: Rebecca Walwyn, Sienna Escobar and Chloe Smith
From baked goods and drinks to watercolor paintings and clothing, students at
Southern Adventist University are utilizing creative ways to share their passions on
campus through pop-up events.
MICROMARKET
For Melody Mambo, a senior nursing major, what began as sharing homemade
treats with friends eventually grew into her own baking business, Mambo
Mentality Also Bakes.
Mambo said she began selling her baked goods during her junior year after friends
encouraged her to turn a hobby into a business.
Mambo and some of her friends decided to set up a mini market outside their
apartment. Eventually, that decision lead to the creation of MICROMARKET, a
small pop-up market organized by Mambo and others in October 2025. The
students chose Southern Village Proper as their location, outside of Poplar
apartment building.
According to Mambo, the group wanted to create an opportunity for student
vendors during semesters when Student Association’s (SA) larger 423 Night
Market was not taking place.
MICROMARKET brings together around five businesses, according to Mambo,
with vendors offering products such as baked goods, matcha, milk tea, boba,
thrifted clothing, tacos and other handmade items.
The most recent market took place in the afternoon on Oct. 9, with Mambo
estimating approximately 100 to 150 people in attendance. Organizers promoted
the event largely through social media and word of mouth.
For Mambo, the market was about more than making sales. It also gave small
businesses the chance to become familiar to customers and spread their creative
talent.
“I’ve noticed with people, they’ll buy from familiar faces,” Mambo said.
Other student pop-up events
Heberto Barrera, a junior business major and owner of a vintage clothing business,
said that even though he does not have a permanent location, it does not stop him
from sharing his business.
“One of my successful [events] was a pop-up I did during the fall two years ago,”
he stated. “A lot of people showed up for that.”
Barrera said pop-up events are a big part of his business’ success.
“I do pop-ups whenever they are available,” he stated. “I loved doing the pop-ups
because I can showcase what I bring to sell to others, and I strive to have good
inventory, and be the best at it.”
Abrielle Malau, a junior health science major and owner of MalMichiMatcha,
explained how a daily routine became a business opportunity for her.
“My roommate and I would come with matcha to class every day and we were
going broke because matcha is not cheap,” she said, “and we were like, ‘okay, so
what can we do?’”
According to Malau, after starting her new business, she began seeing success
overtime.
“We eventually were breaking even, and then we finally started making profit,
being more confident in our business, being able to raise our prices and just our
products in general,” she said.
For Malau, pop-up events have allowed her to connect with other students’
businesses.
“I feel like it’s good to be around people where we can bounce our ideas off of
each other and be able to make all of our businesses run smoother together,” she
said. “It brings community, especially because those who I have worked with and
done pop-ups with, we’re all from different friend groups and different social
groups here at Southern.”
For Barrera, pop-ups have given him the chance to share similar interests.
“What I enjoyed from serving the students at these pop-ups is that I get to connect
with them in common interests such as thrifting, vintage [and] fashion, and give
them these pieces that they will wear and use for the next years to come,” he
stated.
423 Night Market
In addition to organized pop-ups on campus, Barrera has also participated in SA’s
annual 423 Night Market, an event bringing small businesses together on campus
for one night each year.
“I have been doing it for 4 years,” he said. “I love doing it.”
Barrera expressed a desire for Southern to host more pop-up events outside of 423
Night.
“Yes, 423 Night is fun, but more opportunities like that would be excellent for
Southern,” he said.
Bryanna Lopez, a senior nursing major, also hopes Southern will continue to create
opportunities for smaller events throughout the school year.
“I think it’s so sad to see our campus only focus on 423 Night when there could be
more opportunities for different pop-ups,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be quite like
423 Night, but at least encouraging students to be able to show their interests and
being able to express it and helping people socialize a little bit more.”
Outside business pop-ups on campus
In addition to student-owned businesses, Lopez pointed out that pop-ups can make
outside businesses more accessible to students on campus.
“Not everybody has the opportunity to be able to leave campus because not
everybody has a car,” she said.
On Oct. 30, small business Coast + Country Matcha hosted a pop-up event in
Southern Village Proper. The owner, Vanessa Bird, whose husband is an alum of
Southern, was connected to the university through friends who attend.
“We’re just getting started and currently operate through pop-ups,” Bird said.
“This was our first one. I was nervous going into it, but the community was so
welcoming.”
Lopez helped organize and promote the event, connecting the business with
students through her role as a Southern Village resident assistant.
According to the business’ social media, the first 20 people at the pop-up received
free magnets, and stickers were available as a small gift. Southern students were
also offered a $1 discount. Lopez estimated that around 60 people attended the
event.
Lopez said events like these offer students a break from college life and create
chances for people to spend time together.
“I love that a drink can be a little bright spot in someone’s busy day,” said Bird. “It
was fun meeting students and sharing something I love with them.”
Challenges for student business owners
Lauren Leonor, a junior elementary education major, runs a watercolor art
business, Living Water Designs, which allows her to share her artistic talent and
creativity with the student body and community.
“I didn’t really know what this was going to turn into for me,” Leonor said, “and
even though it’s still quite a small business, it’s just been such a fun outlet.”
Although art is something she enjoys, making it a business requires her to learn
how to balance responsibilities.
“I think the biggest thing is time management,” Leonor said. “Being a student is
my first priority.”
Through her experience, she has learned that maintaining a creative project also
means knowing her limits.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is to have boundaries,” she said.
Malau explained the challenges she faced with managing finances.
“In the beginning, it was just really easy to lose track of how much money was
coming in and how much I was spending,” she said.
For Barrera, an increased interest in thrifting has led to more competition for his
business.
“I’d say that running a vintage business has gotten challenging in the past 3 years,
because there has been a surge in interest in this business, and everyone is starting
to do it,” he said.
Barrera also said finding products has become more challenging.
“Sourcing has become more difficult now since thrift stores have been taking out
the sought-after pieces of clothing and been putting them in their online store for
resale,” he said. “Or many people at different locations for sourcing have made it
very competitive for me and other resellers, but I still try to make it work at the end
of the day.”
Supporting small businesses
Mambo believes buying from smaller businesses offers a different experience than
shopping from larger ones, because customers can develop a connection with the
person behind the product.
“It’s cool to see how much growth can come from just one person promoting that
one small business,” she said.
Even though products from small businesses may cost more, she believes the price
reflects the time and effort that goes into making them.
“It’s definitely just compensation for the work that small businesses put in,”
Mambo said.
For Bird, the support she receives is what keeps her going.
“I’m learning as I go, and I’m grateful for every person who shows up, tries a drink
or tells a friend,” she said. “That support makes such a difference when you’re just
starting.”
For those interested in turning a hobby into something of their own, Leonor
encourages them not to wait until everything feels perfectly planned.
“Don’t be scared to just start,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there
and do what you love.”
